PIA Press Release2010/01/15

Pols' bodyguards to wear uniforms while escorting

Tagbilaran City (15 January) -- Armed bodyguards of politicians will have to wear uniform of the service they are affiliated, while on escort or they can be charged against the election gun ban.

Thus says Police Inspector John Gano at the recent Kapihan sa PIA held last Thursday, January 14.

Inspector Gano, Bohol Philippine National Police (PNP) Information Officer reiterated that according to law, members of the country' s armed service or private security agencies given by the election body the go signal to escort still needs to abide by the law or they can be guilty when charged.

The weekly forum at the Philippine Information Agency tackled police related election issues a few days after the Commission on Election (COMELEC) and the PNP implemented gun ban last January 10.

On the checkpoints and chokepoints set up by the joint elements of the PNP and the military, Bohol yielded two violations.

While the police spokesman did not name the suspects, he said the cases are now filed in respective police stations in Talibon and Carmen, where the tow guns were interdicted by checkpoint operations.

Gano insisted that police and military personnel, by law are mandated to wear uniforms with name plates and badges or insignias visible to make sure people do not mistake them as goons.

In conducting night checkpoint operations, Inspector Gano cited provisions of law, which states that legal checkpoints are never placed in dimly lit areas and added artificial lights would have to be installed if lighting is insufficient.

Sufficient lighting is necessary to properly identify the agents manning the checkpoint.

Moreover, he said that each checkpoint would need to have a signage that bears COMELEC Checkpoint markings and names the commanding officer of the PNP or military officer and the local COMELEC officer.

During the forum attended by officers of the Bohol Police Community Relations Officer, all of them press that the checkpoints are installed to make sure that no guns are carried to possibly threaten voters to support a candidate.

Guns have also been cited as one of the factors for a place having incidents of election related violence. (PIA) [top]